A Shift in the Balance
by LaughingLadybug
Summary: AU! On Percy's 5th birthday, his step father-Gabe-murdered his mother-leaving little Percy all alone, or so he thought. But, there is one person left for him in this world-his mother's college boyfriend, and his father, Poseidon Oar. Possible trigger warning for later chapters
1. Chapter 1: Moving Day

**Just to let you know a few things: **

**I don't own anything from this series. If I did, I would have directed the movie or written the script myself and none of those terrible, "alternative decisions," would have been made. For starters, the actors would have actually been TWELVE and the big prophecy would happen on Percy's 16TH AND NOT 20TH BIRTHDAY. **

**You should also know that this is my first PJO fic and I have no idea what I'm doing or where I'm going with this. But, the plot bunnies were biting, so I went ahead with it. **

**I also haven't read the Heroes of Olympus yet, and I really, really want to. I want to so badly that it HURTS. **

**Lastly, my writing is not perfect. I am not perfect. Please expect mistakes to be made.**

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><p>It was Tuesday, I remember because the sun was shining the special way it does on Tuesday. The cold, December air burned my lungs. Silence, an unwelcomed friend, wrapped an arm around me as I sat alone with my thoughts.<p>

_I hate Smelly Gabe._

_I really, really hate Smelly Gabe._

_I wish it was him, not her._

_Why did my Mommy have to die?_

_Momma, I miss you already._

Tears swam in my eyes as I hugged my pillow to my chest. There was knock at the door and I nearly peed my pants. In walked a tall looking lady in business outfit. Her heels clicked against the wood floor. "Percy," she said gently. "It's time to go, are packed yet?" I shook my head and she sighed. She grabbed my suit case and started folding clothes for me, asking if I still wanted certain shirts and pants. Once she was finished she asked, "Are there any toys you'd like to bring?" I nodded and slowly pushed myself up off the bed then shuffled across the room with my blanket to pick up a small, blue, stuffed bear just barely bigger than my own hand.

"Okay, Percy, time to go now," she asked. "Put those in your backpack." I nodded and did as she said before following her out of the apartment building.

The nice lady helped me into her car and into the carseat, she even helped me buckle up.

And we drove, and drove, and drove down past the little market that Momma loved to visit, around the bakery she used to work at, and over the bridge she liked to drive over whenever she got the chance. The warmth of the heater and the quiet of the car made me sleepy. I fought it until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

And then the nightmare begins.

_They're fighting again. I know I should be asleep, but it's my birthday and I want to play with my new toy. Smelly Gabe is getting louder and meaner with each word. Mommy's crying, begging him to calm down. "THESE ARE MY FRIENDS AND YOU ARE GOING TO SHOW THEM THE SAME RESPECT YOU SHOW ME!"_

_"Gabe, please, I'm sorry. He just startled me. Please, calm down, Percy's-"_

_"SHUT UP, I DON"T GIVE CARE ABOUT THAT LITTLE RUNT!"_

_Mommy got really mad and started yelling back. They fought for what seemed like forever. Suddenly there's a loud BANG and people start shouting. "Quick, call the ambulance! Call the police!"_

_Soon there's the loud squeal of the siren and bright red and blue lights coming in through my window. There's loud footsteps banging down the stairs as the shadows on my wall seem to come to life. I run out of the room to find Momma, and I do find her, there on the floor._

I jerk awake, breathing hard. "Percy, we're here." I look around and see we're in front of a nice house. It's not big, but it's nice. It has a front yard with a little white fence in front and a big front porch with a swing. I remember driving past this house once and Momma said she wished we lived in a house like that.

The business lady helped me out of the car and led me up to the house. A very tall man with dark hair answered the door. He smiled and talked with the lady before bending down and saying hello to me. I didn't say a word. I just stared at him. I noticed that he looks like a big version of me, the grown up version. He asked me a few more things, but I didn't answer. " Don't take it personally. He hasn't spoken since the incident," the lady said.

"Oh. Well, please come in." We entered and I looked around. It was clean house, and it smelt like the beach. I decided that I liked it there. The lady had me sit on the couch and swear not to touch anything. I just nodded and played with my hands, something Momma taught me to do when I have to be still. So far, it works.

The two grown ups go into the other room to talk, but I can still hear them.

"He's a good boy, really. He's just..." the lady trailed off.

"Withdrawn?"

"Yes, withdrawn. He's going to need a lot of TLC, a lot of attention. Are you up to that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you want him still? Do you want a child now that you know it won't be all cute drawings and sunshine?"

"How dare you-"

"I have to ask Mr. Oar. You wouldn't believe all the people in the world that treat children like pets, or things they buy at the store. As soon as they realize something's not quite right, they return it, or give it to someone else. I'm just trying to save that little boy the pain of being told, 'I don't want you anymore.' I need your answer, and I need it now."

"Of course I do."


	2. Chapter 2: Becoming Mine (Legally)

**A/N Yay, yay, yay, CHAPTER TWO IS UP! I feel so accomplished. As you can tell, long stories aren't my thing-but I _really wanted _to do this. I had never done a story in this fandom before, I had never done an AU before, and I haven't done a very long story in a VERY long time. Well you know what they say, go big or go home! I would like to give a special thanks to my friend Ghostface317 v2 for all his help with this, and for his patience. Oh, P.S: I saw the 2nd Percy Jackson movie for the first time a few days ago.**

**What. The. Heck. First, Tyson was a second grader in mentality-this guy just seemed oblivious. Percy (who is thirteen_ doesn't find out about the prophecy until near the end, and he finds out from Annabeth (who is thirteen). Second, HERMES DOES NOT GIVE HIM A MAGIC BOX SEALER, and he meets him when he is alone. Third, Circe's island was a packed resort, not an abandoned carnival on Polyphemus' island. Third, Tyson dies when Clarisse's ship nearly explodes, not when he falls off a cliff into the water. Fourth, when Thalia comes back, she still looks like she's only twelve. Fifth, Zeus was the only one that escaped Kronus in the myth. Sixth, Grover was gone during the entire book, except for the end. Seventh, the prophecy says 16th, not 20th birthday, thank you. And lastly, Luke does not bring Kronus back yet.**

**The only thing they got right was George and Martha.**

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><p><strong>Poseidon's POV<strong>

I got up, got dressed,ate breakfast and waited for my world to turn upside down.

Sally- my college girlfriend and first _real _love- was on my mind that whole morning. She remembered me after all these years, she still trusted me. So much so that she had left me her son in her will. A five year old little boy named Perseus, Percy. I won't lie, it stung that she had moved on from me so easily. It hurt even worse that my dreams of her tripping and falling back in love with me had turned to ash in my mouth.

It wasn't long until there was a knock on my door to pull me out of my reverie. Still a little dazed, I got up and answered the door. There stood the Social Worker who had contacted me on this matter early in the week-her named was Mrs. West, and next to her stood a silent little boy with a mop of black hair on his head-Percy. I briefly greeted with Mrs. West attempted to speak to Percy and failed miserably. She told me not to worry, that it was nothing personal-that he hadn't spoken in a while. It only made me feel worse.

Percy quietly sat down on the couch and played with his fingers as we headed into the kitchen.

Before I could say anything else, she handed me an envelope with my name on it in Sally's delicate handwriting. I opened it and pulled out a letter.

It read:

_Dear Poseidon,_

_Before you read on, know that I do love you. I really, really do and I always will. You are what took away the stress of school, and work, and family. You were the reason why I smiled at the end of every day. It killed me to lie to your face, to leave you the way I did. Let me redeem myself, let me tell you the truth._

_I didn't run out of funds, I was pregnant, and I knew it was yours. You're the only man I had ever been with. I knew I wouldn't be able to balance what I already had on my plate and add a child to my already hectic schedule. So I dropped out, got a second job, and my first apartment. You know the one, the crappy little one bedroom that you and I said would be our starter home? I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I couldn't ask you to throw away everything you've worked so hard for._

_I'm so sorry, for not telling you. I'll never be sorry for this baby._

_He's a beautiful little boy, really. His name is Perseus Jackson, Percy for short. He has your dark hair and brilliant green eyes with my pale complexion. He's only two now, three in August, and he is already so much like you. Same crooked smile. Same stubborn attitude. Percy's funny and smart without even trying, and keeps me on his toes. After work when I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open, I still look forward to him flying into my arms and saying, "Momma I missed you." He's my new reason to smile at the end of the day._

_If you're reading this, I must have been in an accident, or got too sick to go on, and you must know that I left him to you-the only person on this earth I trust to keep him safe. _

_I won't let you go into this blindly, don't worry. There are only a few things you need to know._

_1. Bedtime is at 7:45, 8:30 at the latest._

_2. He has ADHD and dyslexia_

_4. He's allergic to nuts_

_5. He has nightmares, so don't be surprised if you wake up in the middle of the night, needing to change soaked bed sheets or early in the morning with him cuddled beside you._

_6. Just love him, and the rest will fall into place._

_With all my love,_

_Sally Jackson_

There was a long silence before the Social Worker cleared her throat.

"I really am sorry for your loss," she said hesitantly. "She seemed like a good person just stuck in a bad situation." I know she was trying to help, but it felt like this lady just kicked me so hard that I would sing soprano for a week.

"Thank you," I answered softly as my eyes studied the table.

"He's a good boy, really. He's just..." the lady trailed off.

"Withdrawn," I supplied, looking up.

She nodded. "Yes, withdrawn. He's going to need a lot of TLC, a lot of attention. Are you up to that?"

Huh? Is she really asking me if I'm willing to take care of my own kid? "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you want him still? Do you want a child now that you know it won't be all cute drawings and sunshine?"

"How dare you-" I growled.

A cold, steely look came into her eyes. "I have to ask Mr. Oar," Mrs. West said curtly, "You wouldn't believe all the people in the world that treat children like pets, or things they buy at the store. As soon as they realize something's not quite right, they return it, or give it to someone else. I'm just trying to save that little boy the pain of being told, 'I don't want you anymore.' I need your answer, and I need it now."

"Of course I do."

"Good," she sounded pleased. "Now let's move on to the paper work."

_Oh yay. Lucky, lucky me. _

After signing papers and more papers Mrs. West looked up and smiled, "Congrats, it's a boy. He's all yours!" I smiled back. I have a son, a little boy. He's mine and no one can take him away from me. She picked up her suitcase and left while saying, "We'll have someone come in in a couple of months to see how things are running."

"Thanks," I said before closing the door behind her and looking at Percy who had fallen asleep on the couch, curled in a fetal position.

_Lucky, lucky me,_ I thought happily.

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><p><strong>AN Ummmmm...I'm new at this, keep that in mind. And, well, let's just say that this is all spur of the moment, yeah?**

**Okay.**

**Is there anything you guys would like to see in the coming chapters?**


	3. Chapter 3: The Threat of Bedtime

**A/N: Good morning, lovelies! I wrote this chapter late last night or rather, early this morning because really want to stay on top of this and update as often as possible. I'm prone to becoming incredibly lazy with long stories, the moment I decide to take a break from this is the moment you guys can consider this story dead.**

**To my reviewers:**

**Camilla: It might have been better off if they had just started their own movie series based on the book rather than say, "Oh, yeah, this is just the movie adaptation of it."**

**Ghostface317 v2: Thank you, I am so very glad you like this story!**

**Matt: ****Sorry! I didn't think I'd have to clarify that with Percy Jackson fans who had probably read Sea of Monsters at least five times by now, if not more. We all know that in chapter 10: Clarisse Blows Everything Up, starting on page 148 that Tyson does not die. It is later revealed that he is saved by a Hippocampi that had followed the ship, waiting for Tyson to play with him. **

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><p><strong>Percy's POV<strong>

He walked the business lady out and closed the door behind her, then turned to me. "Hi Percy," he said softly. "Do you know who I am?" I nodded, of course I did. He was the man in Momma's pictures, the one she told me stories about. He was quiet for a few minutes before saying, "Well then, why don't we get you settled and then watch some cartoons, huh?"

I just stared at him.

I didn't say yes.

I didn't say no.

I didn't care.

He asked me something else, but I wasn't listening. I squirmed in my seat as I scrunched up my nose. I wanted to _move. _My legs felt like they had trillions of ants crawling around inside them. Ants that wouldn't go away unless I moved. So, I quietly stood up and tried not to run, after all, where could I go? "I'll take that as a yes," my Papa said and steered me into an empty room.

"This is your room," he said while pushing open the big, dark brown door. The walls were a dark blue/gray and the carpet was white. It smelt...funny in there. The only way to describe is empty. The room smelt empty, like no one had been inside for a billion years. There was one big window on the left...or was it the right (I don't know the difference) wall that let in a bunch of light. There was a bed, one that was too big for me but looked too small for Papa, in the far corner with a few white blankets on it. "I know, looks a little drury now, but in time it'll feel like home."

I sat down on the bed, letting me feet hang off the edge, and looked around again. I felt like I was the size of a mouse. I looked up at Papa for some sort of clue of what I should do. "Let's say you and I put everything where it needs to be," he said in a suggesting tone, but I knew I had to anyway. I nodded and jumped off the bed, slowly unzipping my backpack and taking out the only things that matter: my toy and my blanket. I then placed them on the bed and looked back at him as if to say, "See? Done!" He laughed. "We have to put your clothes away too, little man." I sighed and pulled out all my clothes in my backpack and little suitcase and put them in the bottom drawer of the dresser. "No, not like that, silly boy," he said before sitting down across from me and teaching me how to put them away, "nicely."

I stopped listening after a while. Soon we were done and eating pizza while watching Spongebob on the couch. My daddy looked up at the clock and then down at me. "Bath time, kiddo," he announced. A small, quiet sound of protest came from the back of my throat. He chuckled and told me I had to before taking me to the bathroom and running a bath. He plopped me in, washed my hair and left me to play in the water for a while.

I got comfortable in the warmth of the water and I never wanted to leave.

But I did, and I hated every second of it. I hated the feeling of air hitting my skin, making me cold. I hated the feeling of the gruff towel rubbing against me. And I REALLY hated having to leave my toys behind.

When I was done drying off, I was forced to put on my pajamas. He let me stay up a little bit longer to watch one more show, and one more turned into to two, then three. Daddy looked up at the clock and said, "Percy, bedtime."

I shook my head so fast that little water drops from my damp hair splattered on his shirt. "Yes Percy, now," he said. Without warning, he picked me up and carried me to bed. My heart started going faster than any race car!

I squirmed and wiggled in his hold, but he just held on tighter. I kicked, I hit, I fought-but he refused to let me go. Papa dropped me on my bed and tucked me in, tucking all the blankets around me. I almost screamed, "No, no that's not right! You don't do it that way," but I didn't. I couldn't bring myself to speak.

"Goodnight Percy, sweet dreams," he said quietly. He started to leave and I began to panic. _Please don't turn off the lights. Please don't. Please, please, please. _ He stops and looks back at me, "Don't worry if you need me I'll be in the room right across from you, and I'll leave the hall light on so you can find your way, I promise." He then leaves, only leaving the door open a crack.

I lay there in my new bed, in my new room, in my new home feeling more than a little lost. Before sleep claims me, the only thing I can think about is how Momma would tuck me in at night with a story and a kiss on the head. How she used to sing to me after I wet the bed and how she would comb my hair with her hand while waiting on the blankets finish washing and drying. How she would always give me a warm hug in the morning.

I sniffled, knowing that I wouldn't be getting a hug from my Momma ever again.


	4. Chapter 4: (I Think) I'm Going Crazy

**A/N: You know, if I owned the PJO series I would have written HOO in first person as well but I don't own the PJO series or HOO. I don't own anything in this story either.**

**Speaking of which-I started reading the first book in Heroes of Olympus today, I'm a little less than a quarter of the way through. It's great! Like I said earlier, I just wish it was written in first person as well. But other than that, yeah, I like it. Although PJO will always have a special place in my heart.**

**I'm rambling.**

**On to the story!**

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><p><strong>Poseidon's POV<strong>

I sighed as I exited the room, making certain to leave the door open a crack to let light filter in. I felt helpless. The moment I saw that wild look of fear on his face my mind went blank. As I was tucking him in, he looked at me like, "You're doing it wrong." What am I supposed to do? How do you tuck someone in wrong?

I made myself a cup of coffee and sat down on the couch. Good God, what was I going to do? I had a child that couldn't tell me what he wanted, what needed from me. He would just stare at me with sad green eyes. Percy was so young and so sad. It killed me that I couldn't make anything better. I wanted nothing more than for Sally to appear and tell me what to do, give me some sort of sign to point me in the right direction.

I sit in silence, waiting, watching, listening for a sign. And then, I think I hear her.

_Just start by loving him and everything else will fall into place._

"Sally," I breathed. Just the thought of her breaks my heart. I remember the day she left me behind, how everything started out perfectly.

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><p><em>I was waiting for her to come home to our little dorm. We didn't have a lot of money between the two of us, so our couch was really one we had found on the side of the road. It was full of holes with stuffing falling out. Our coffee table was a surprisingly sturdy cardboard boxes. Everything else we had there, like our bed and anything that belonged to the kitchen, belonged to the school. We had a couple of bean bags and lawn chairs, a bunch of posters for things I don't really remember anymore, and a few pictures of our families as well as the two of us together.<em>

_I had a plastic ring in my pocket and a hot box of pizza on the table. Sadly, that was the best I could do at the time. I lit a couple of candles and sat down, waiting. Then, she did come home and I knew something wrong. She had that look on her face, like she was just barely holding herself together and if I said one word she would fall apart. Without thinking, I went to her and wrapped her up in my arms. I asked her what was wrong and after taking a few deep, shaky breaths she told me that she had to drop out-that all her funds were gone and she couldn't afford this school anymore. "No, don't do that," I had said, "I'll help you. You and I can both take a second job and-" she cut me off by pressing a finger to my lips._

_She stepped away, "I-There's no point, I'm too far in. There's nothing I can do now-"_

_"Sally," I said softly, dropping down to one knee, "I love you. Let me take care of you."_

_She pulled me to my feet, "I love you too, so 's why I can't ask you to do that."_

_"But I want to."_

_"Trust me, you have no idea what you're saying."_

_"I have every idea," I said, but I knew I wouldn't win this. She had that, 'let me go,' look._

_She took a step closer and stood on the tips of her toes to kiss my stubbly cheek. "Goodnight, Poseidon. I won't be here in the morning."_

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><p>She was true to her word. That morning it was almost as if she didn't exist. All her belongings had vanished, her blankets, toothbrush, clothes-everything was gone. The only thing she left behind was the pictures and the smell of her perfume on my pillow.<p>

"Sally," I sighed, "I don't know what I do. Please tell me what to do."

I could practically hear her laugh at me in that gentle way she used to and say, _Silly man, I already did: start by loving him and the rest will follow._

"I don't know how." I briefly wondered if I was going crazy before deciding I didn't care. I'll look as insane as I want in my own home. And besides, Sally was worth looking crazy over.

_Yes you do; if I didn't think you could I wouldn't have left him with you in the first place. _

Suddenly I heard little feet against the floor. I turned my head just to the right and saw Percy. One hand was rubbing at his eye sleepily while the other tightly gripped his blanket. There were tears swimming in his eyes. "Hey buddy," I said gently, remembering that Sally's letters said he was prone to nightmares. "Bad dream?" He nodded. "You want to sit with me for a while?" He nodded again and shuffled towards me then climbed up onto the couch. Percy took me by surprise by laying down next to me and resting his head in my lap. He looked up at me with big, sad green eyes just begging me to take the pain away. "Oh buddy," I whispered as I began to brush his mess of hair with my hand. "Things will get better." _I hope._

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><p><strong>AN: So there you have it, chapter four! I don't know, what do you think. Is there anything else I should address in my writing? Is there anything you would like to see? **


	5. Chapter 5: The Hot Mess- I mean Family

**Poseidon's POV**

Percy was in my care for about a week when he met the family. If I had it my way, he would have never met them, but it had to be done. I started off slow mainly because I wasn't sure how Percy would react to a large group of people and partly because I wasn't in a hurry to have my whole hot mess of a family in my home.

I started with Hestia. Out of all my siblings, my big sister is my favorite. She's no where nearly as intense as either one of my brothers and actually has a little respect for me. Percy adored her almost instantly. It didn't surprise me. Back in the day, Hestia and Sally got along beautifully because they were so much a like. They had the same sense of humor, same kind disposition, and same gentle way of speaking.

About a year ago, Hestia found out she couldn't have any kids, it broke her heart. Every now and then she would say, "Little brother, if you ever have a kid, I'm going to spoil him or her rotten."

"Why not do that now, you have plenty of nieces and nephews," I would say.

She would laugh. "Zeus has too many to keep track of and I never get to see Nico!"

And now, there my darling big sister was, making my son feel like the most special kid in the world. His eyes were glowing with excitement and he had goofy little smile on his face as he bobbed his head up and down excitedly. I loved watching every second of it.

What I didn't love was how hard he had cried when she left.

The next day, Hades showed up with three-year-old Nico in his arms. Percy didn't really want to be around Hades, or at least I guess so considering he hid behind me whenever Hades approached him. Nico was another story. They boys chased each other around the house and played hide and seek for I don't know how long, exactly, but it gave my brother and I plenty of time to talk. "He doesn't say much, does he," my brother had asked.

"He hasn't talked since Sally died," I answered as I watched Percy and Nico wrestle in the living. "Percy, go easy on him, he's smaller than you!" I turned back to my brother.

"Sally," he drawed with vague look of recognition. Hades looked past me for a second, "Nico! Don't hit Percy _there!_"

"Girl I dated in college," I supplied when his attention had partially returned back to me. He nodded.

We watched the boys play for a few seconds before he said, "So...what's your game plan?"

"Game plan?"

"Yeah, game plan," my older brother answered. "He can't exactly go through the rest of his life without saying a word to anyone."

"I don't know," I sighed. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

There was a loud crash and the sound of two little boys crying. We jumped, ran to them, and picked up our own respective child. One of the speakers for my tv had fallen over. Luckily, no one got hurt-just a little rattled. Percy was shaking when I got to him."Shh," I whispered in Percy's ear as one hand rubbed circles on his back. "It's okay, you're okay." He buried himself further into the curve of my neck. "Percy," I crooned softly, "it's okay." Hades was looking over at the two of us every now and then as he swayed Nico side to side.

It was decided that they would play in Percy's room while Hades and I continued to talk. They weren't even gone a minute when he asked me if Percy had PTSD. "You mean ADHD? Yeah, he can barely hold-"

"No. PTSD: post traumatic stress disorder." I didn't say anything. "After the car crash that killed Bianca and Maria-N-Nico acted different. The very thought of getting in a car terrified him. Loud noises made him so scared that he would start sobbing-as you just witnessed-and nightmares made it impossible to sleep. Does any of this sound familiar."

Some of it did, sort of. Percy wasn't scared of cars, but rather loud noises, and he had nightmares but the letter Sally had wrote said that he had always had them. But, judging from what she had written, Percy used to be a talkative child and now he said nothing. "Look," Hades said, "I don't care what you do, he's your kid, but if you love him you'll do something about this."

He was right. I had to do something about this, but I wasn't taking him to a therapist. They're nut jobs, really. In my opinion, they try to convince you that something is wrong with your head just so you'll keep coming back. But I would fix this for Percy's sake-it'll just be my way.

The day after that, Zeus and his brood dropped by. Good God, it seemed like he had a million of kids. I introduced Percy to each and every one. The only ones that seemed to like him were Hermes, Thalia, Jason, and Apollo. Others just seemed to fake a smile or act insulted when he didn't say hello back.

I was talking with Hermes and Apollo when she popped up. "Children," she purred, "go and play while I talk with your uncle and new cousin." I stiffened. _What the hell does she want? _As soon as they were out of sight, Hera bent down to Percy's level and stuck out her hand. "Hello, little one," she said sweetly. Percy hid behind my leg and Hera scowled. "Well aren't you going to say hello back?" He timidly waved hello at her before pressing himself farther into the back of my leg.

"He doesn't talk," I said while reassuringly stroking his hair.

"How old is he," she questioned. "Two? Three?"

"Five."

"Oh, bit of a nitwit then."

"Excuse me," I growled. "He is not a nitwit, he's my son and I will not tolerate you speaking about him in such a matter, especially in my own home!"

"Poseidon, Poseidon," she crooned, "It's quite alright, not everyone can have a perfect child like my Ares."

Ares is my nephew-and I do love him-but there's no denying that he's a little punk with too much time on his hands.

"Oh? Is that why he was arrested last week and Hephaestus had to go bail him out?"

Hera's eyes bugged out of her head and her jaw dropped to the ground as she began to splutter. "ZEUS! WE'RE LEAVING!"

My brother gave me a somewhat apologetic and yet a _insult-my-wife-again-and-you'll-be-kissing-the-carpet _look before leaving.

As soon as they were gone, I turned to Percy. "You okay?" He gave me a look, silently asking _Daddy, am I stupid? "_Don't listen to her," I huffed. "You're aunt Hera..." Oh how do I say this. I couldn't exactly crazy bitch in front of my five year old-I didn't want him hearing that kind of language. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. You, my son, are very smart." He graced me with a smile and a warm and fuzzy feeling bloomed in my trust. He looked like his mother when he smiled. I'd do anything to keep that smile on his face. "Now 'cmon, let's go get a bite to eat eh?"

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><p><strong>AN: Yes, yes, I know. I'm flirting with danger here with two chapters in Poseidon's point of view in a row! I'm sorry, I had a hard time writing this in Percy's point of view so I went to Poseidon. Don't worry, the next chapter will definitely be written in Percy's standpoint and I think it will be great. But that's just my biased opinion as the author. **

**Guys, I REALLY need to hear from you on what you would like to see in the story. Believe it or not, you can actually be a part of the writing process.**

**Stay Gold,**

**LaughingLadybug**


	6. Chapter 6: Say Something

I'm smart.

Someone called me smart.

I couldn't believe it.

For as long as I could remember, I've been called stupid and a waste of time. Not by Momma-never by Momma-but by Smelly Gabe, and I think a couple others before him. Smelly Gabe is the one I remember the most.

"Clean it up, stupid," he had yelled after I accidentally knocked a glass of water off the table.

"Look at this, the boy is an idiot. He's too stupid to hold a spoon right," he had said to Momma at the dinner table one night while I tried to eat my mashed potatoes.

"Watch what you're doing, moron," he snapped after I bumped into him, making him spill his drink.

"Sally, why do you waste your time with that kid," he asked when Momma was trying to teach me my alphabet. "He'll never learn!"

He said it so much, so often that I began to believe him. I didn't want to, it just happened. From then on, I always thought of myself as dumb, as stupid. I thought I would never learn anything. But it made me all the more grateful for my Mommy. She always understood what I meant and was always interested in what I had to say. She always believed in me and always told me that I was smart.

When she died, I thought no one else would ever understand and that the rest of the world always thought I was dumb. That is until my Papa looked me in the eye and called me smart. For the rest of the day I wore a smile.

Daddy took us out to eat that night to a place I had never heard of-Aunt Em's Famous Fast Food. He said the cheeseburgers were really good and the fries were better than Burger King's. I was really excited. I _love _Burger King and cheeseburgers, and fries. I was called smart today and I get my favorite food! How lucky could I get! My smile got so big that I thought my face would tear in half.

We sat down at a table near the window. I looked all around me, taking in everything at once. The smell of burgers on the grill, the sound of everyone talking all at once. Everything was great until I felt the ants crawling in my legs again. I began to squirm all around.

"What's wrong," Papa asked. I gave him a pleading look, begging him to let me move. "Bathroom?" I nodded fervently. The ants were starting to bite. He took my hand and cut me through the crowd and to the the bathroom. The walk there made me feel better despite that it wasn't a very long walk. Almost as soon as we got back to the table a lady with an apron asked us what we wanted to eat. Daddy told her what he wanted and then all eyes were on me.

I didn't say anything, I was too scared.

"Percy," Daddy said gently, "can you tell the nice lady what you want." I looked at the menu but nothing made sense, all the words were flying around me. I want a cheeseburger and fries. I want a cheeseburger and fries. I looked and looked until I found a picture of burgers and fries. I pointed to it and she asked me if I wanted cheese and I gave her a big nod.

She walked away and Papa looked so upset. I whimpered curled into myself, pulling my knees to my chest. I didn't like it when he was upset. "Percy," he sighed, "you're such a smart boy, why won't you talk? I know you know how, buddy. No one will be mad at you if you do.

I shook my head. He didn't understand and I was convinced that he never would.

**Poseidon's POV**

I have to admit-I was anxious. I _desperately _wanted to hear the sound of my child's voice. I understood that he's been this way ever since his mother died, I understood that this was his way of coping (or would it be not coping) with her death but still-I wanted to hear my son speak.

I wanted to know what his thoughts and little observations of the world around him.

I wanted to hear him yell, "DADDY," and run into my arms and tell me all about his day like a normal five-year-old boy would

I wanted that so badly for him and for me. I tried Percy into speaking, but leave it to my son to find a loophole and start looking for the pictures. I almost said, "No Percy. Tell the nice lady what you want to eat," but I knew that would be going too far, pushing too hard.

Whether I liked it or not, we'd be going at his pace and there'd have to be a happy medium between Percy's way and mine. It couldn't be one way or the other and I knew that. My way would be too fast for him and if Percy had his way he wouldn't be talking until he turned 30. What was I going to do? I looked down at Percy and he looked up at me. Almost instantly he curled into himself, bringing his knees to his chest with a whimper. It felt like a punch to the stomach. "Percy," I sighed, trying my hardest not to sound exasperated, "you're such a smart boy, why won't you talk? I know you know how, buddy. No one will be mad at you if you do."

He shook his head, as if I didn't understand. I was beginning to convince myself that I never would.

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><p><strong>AN: Poor, poor Poseidon-what's he to do about his little boy? What would you do if you were in his shoes.**

**Couple of announcements: **

**1.) I will be returning to school on Monday, so my updates won't be as frequent**

**2.) I REFUSE to give up on this story, especially since I' have set a goal for myself. Each chapter will be a thousand words long. I aim to hit 100 reviews with this story.**

**Stay Gold,**

**LaughingLadybug**


	7. Chapter 7: Long Rides and Long Nights

By the time we finished dinner, it was sleeting outside. I used my big, black coat as an umbrella for the two of us as we hurried down the street to a bus stop. Luckily for us, it wasn't too full and there was plenty of room to sit, which I did then pulled Percy into my lap. He curled into me, shivering as I wrapped my coat tighter around the two of us. "Cold?" He nodded and burrowed deeper into my chest. I chuckled. "You don't like the cold, do you?" He shook his head. "Well don't worry, we'll be in a nice, warm cab soon," I said, trying to elicit a cheer and failing. Instead I got a sleepy smile and soft yawn. I smiled and dropped a kiss down onto his black hair.

We didn't have to wait too awfully long for a taxi, but when it did I felt great relief to be inside with the heat turned on high. "Where to, bub," the driver asked.

I gave him my address and then looked down at my son, sleeping soundly on my chest. "Take the long way around," I whispered just loud enough for the driver to hear.

"Yes sir."

We drove past the market in China Town that Sally used to love, around a tiny bakery with fancy writing on the little piece of wood hanging above the door and a sigo in the window that said, "Help wanted," and over the bridge that she and I had shared our first kiss under. Just the thought of Sally was painful for me. I looked down at Percy, who was still sound asleep in my arms, and felt another ache in my heart.

I couldn't bring her back to life but I could try and love our son and raise him the way she would.

Percy shifted and sighed content lyrics in his sleep. I smiled and took comfort in the quiet of the cab while trying to focus on the present. Percy was safe in my arms, content to be warm and sleeping with his head on my chest. He yawned and cuddled closer as the cab driver pulled up in front of the house. After paying the man and carried Percy inside.

After carefully taking off his jacket and shoes as he slept, I tucked him into bed. "Goodnight Percy, sleep tight."

I then tiptoed out of his room and into the living room. I flopped down on the couch and drifted off to sleep. I awoke only hours later to the smell of celery. I opened my bleary eyes to see Percy with tears in his eyes and a big pee stain on his pants. "Bad dreams again?" He sniffed and nodded. "Okay, let's get you cleaned up shall we?" He nodded as I led him to the bathroom and got him cleaned up after I dropped his soiled bed sheets and pajamas into the washer.

I left Percy to play in the bath for a short bit while I dug around his clothes to get his Pjs ready. I quickly discovered that he didn't have any and went to dig through my dresser to find him something. After finding a soft and warm sweatshirt, I returned to the bathroom and pulled Percy out of the water. He pouted but got over it, eventually.

I helped him dry his hair, and get dressed, then carried him into the living room. We stayed up, and I told him old Greek stories (they were the only ones I knew, and hey, at least I toned a few of them down) until he fell asleep in my arms once again. He looked so sweet, so innocent in his sleep. I wanted nothing more than to take away all his little worries and chase the nightmares away. I wanted to protect him from everything horrible to this world had to offer.

I wanted to make his mother's death easier on him. I wanted to make him feel like everything was going to be okay and that he could laugh and smile and talk again. I wanted him to know that his mother loved him dearly and I always would be here. I wanted him to feel the way a normal child his age would feel: happy and carefree.

But I didn't know how.

I sighed to myself and brushed Percy's black hair with my hand. "Oh, my sweet little boy, what am I going to do?"

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><p><strong>AN: WOW! You guys are so nice! You have no idea how much your kindness has touched my heart!**

**I'm sorry that I haven't updated much...my schedule is insane right now! Speech and Debate is starting back up and I have new pieces. I'm even doing prose! Our next tournament is in a couple of weeks and I really hope I do well. I've been working _really hard _on all my poetry.**

** Drama club is starting back up too. Auditions for the Wizard of Oz is in two days. Normally I'd be nervous but I'm not this time, just disappointed. They've already pre decided roles. My question is why would they bother holding auditions if they already decided who is playing what. ****Some of the seniors who are getting whatever role they want says that's how it should be and that just ticks me off. It's not fair to everyone else. Just because they don't want to work for it doesn't mean that everyone else should be cheated out of a role that they may be better at. There's a couple of girls just a year behind me and personally I think they'd do really well at a big role.**

**Oh well, I've already been told that it doesn't matter and I should just be grateful because then it'll be my turn next year.**

***rolls eyes***

**Sorry for the rant.**

**But, despite all that, I'll try to update every Saturday as often as I can. I don't like leaving you guys hanging for long amounts of time, it makes me feel really bad. **


	8. Chapter 8: A Necessary Evil

**Percy's POV**

I didn't want to go, but Daddy said I had to. He said he had to go back to work, and I had to go back to school and that I couldn't be around him all day, every day. Why not? Didn't he want me? Why do I have to go to school?

School.

I. Hate. School.

The teachers are mean, the other kids are worse. The teachers pick on me, and call me stupid. The other kids push me off the swings and hit me! I don't like school. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!

When the morning came for Daddy to drop me off, I was terrified. The school building looked like a giant, hungry, brick monster, ready to swallow me whole. I looked to my father and wondered if he was really going to leave me here. Maybe this was a big joke and then he'd start laughing and take me to get ice cream.

Daddy dropped down to one knee and gently placed a hand on my shoulders. "Percy," he said gently, "it's going to be okay, I promise. You're going to have a lot of fun and make new friends, it'll be great." He smiled, as if trying to punctuate the statement, but I didn't believe it. How could I? Nothing has been okay for a long, long time. School has always been horrible for as long as I could remember.

I just sighed and nodded. What will make this place any different? Despite my own thoughts, I smiled back at him.

His smile widened before he stood back up and took my hand. "Alright buddy, let's go." He lead me inside the big building and into a colorful classroom. So many other kids were running around, screeching and playing game. Too many people, and I didn't know a single one. I clung to my father's leg. I looked up at him, silently begging, _Daddy, don't leave me here. _He smiled and ruffled my hair. "It'll be okay, I promise."

I didn't believe him. School is never okay.

_Never. Ever. _

Kids are mean and teachers are blind. I smiled up at him as my eyes filled with tears. He smiled back, sadly, and wiped them away. "Now none of that," he said gently, "it'll all be okay. Have I ever lied to you?" I reluctantly shook my head. He's never lied to me, not once so far. "Be a good boy for me, okay?"

I nodded and bit my lip as he detached me from his leg.

I held my breath as he dropped a kiss on my head the way Momma used to.

I silently watched as he turned to me with one more smile and a wave goodbye before walking out the doorway.

I cried as my daddy left me all alone in sea of people.

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><p><strong>Poseidon's POV<strong>

I heard his cries as I walked down the hallway. I took a deep breath and continued walking, trying to ignore his anguished sobs. Every muscle in my body told me to run to him, but I ignored all 700 of them. _My poor little boy, I'm so sorry. _ Guit racked my body. It took every bit of gray matter in my brain to remind myself that it had to be done. The more confident he felt at school, the better. And I _knew _that if I stuck around to coddle him, he would never feel comfortable at school by himself.

I forced myself to walk faster.

As I climbed into my car and I could feel the shift in the balance.

I caught sight of the empty car seat in the back. Damn, I missed Percy already. _He'll be fine, _I assured myself. Percy had to be fine, I promised him I would. In the short time he's been with me, I have yet to break any promise I have ever made to him. I can't break a promise to him now. I just can't. It would be too hard to face his sad, green eyes. I could barely face them today.

Percy's sobs echoed in my ears. How was the teacher handling it? Had she called me yet? Did I tell his teacher that he doesn't talk? Maybe she can't get to the phone? I'm still here. I could go back and-

I shook my head and started the engine.

I drove myself to work and tried not to be distracted the feeling of being the only one in the car for the first time in weeks and resisted the urge to check my phone. A little voice in the back of my head began to remind me that this would be a very, very long day.

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><p><strong>AN: So, I have discovered several things over the past couple of weeks:**

**1.) I am rarely around people my own age. **

**2.) No matter how hard I work at anything I do, I will always be an underdog. No one will consider me an option. I have no chance.**

**3.) Compared to everyone around me, I am incredibly under accomplished.**

**4.) A lot of kids I am around at my school are horrible people.**

**Sorry for that, I needed to get it off my chest. I've had a rough past couple of weeks. Everything I've done has not been good enough. I guess I'm just going to make writing my priority for a while-it seems to be the only thing I'm fairly decent at. Speaking of writing, I am really sorry that this is SOOO late. I've got drama club, this short film contest deadline next week, Speech and Debate (I NEVER place) and so much other crap going on, like homework and such. Ugggghhhh. **

**I AM NOT giving up on this story. I swear. It's just not going to be regularly updated for a while. **

**I'm so sorry!**

**Stay Gold,**

**LaughingLadybug**


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